Each year is different for our students, so each yearbook is strategically branded & tells a unique story. Not only is the yearbook a historical publication of the events that happen within the school, it is also a historical record of trends, slang, interests, and more. I like to compare yearbooks to the Olympics... each Olympic Games is similar & uses the Olympics logo, however the host country has freedom to develop a thematic brand for their host year to encompass the country's culture. Each year, my yearbook staff develops a brand & creative design strategy to encompass the culture & lives of our students at this point in time.

Our students were not receiving the best. Without the proper tools & understanding of the course options & pathways available at Cheney High School, our students & families struggled to choose courses during registration, especially classes that related to their future career plans. I facilitated cross-team collaboration with counseling, world language, visual & performing arts, career & technical education, & administration departments to confirm graduation pathway options for students. Within less than two weeks, I developed 13 Graduation Pathway Registration documents, accompanying pathway options with sequential courses, & digital resources including a branded webpage & digital course guide. These resources were used district-wide to facilitate course registration.

When our school chose a new logo, we needed to re-brand everything within our school. At the same time, our school had recently completed significant construction for remodeling/additions & a non-profit booster club was established to support our school's extracurriculars & athletics. With so many needs for signage, merchandise, social media content, etc., I was independently contracted by both the school & booster club to develop various graphics & support both programs in printing/creation processes.

As I have developed relationships with educators at all levels, I have begun creating digital & print designs to support student learning at the elementary & secondary levels. In my own classroom, I have developed in-person and online resources to support student learning. I have also developed videos and online structures for personalized student learning experiences. This past year, I collaborated with a Kindergarten educator to modify his classroom to include a dramatic play center, sensory bin, and art station with thematic resource & materials. To match the curriculum & seasons, I designed nine themed units of materials for use including a Flower Shop, Construction Unit, Post Office, & Zoo Veterinarian. I also collaborated with a secondary level World Language instructor to develop leveled materials for her classroom to support students who need intervention or extension.

This year, I partnered with our revitalized drama program & their new director to provide my students with an industry experience in developing marketing materials for upcoming drama productions. I used these experiences to also dive into copyright & trademark law to teach my students how to develop assets while respecting the work of others. Both The SpongeBob Musical & These Shining Lives productions provided contracts with stipulations on content for advertising as well as logos for use. I mentored my students in the development of marketing materials for both productions & edited final materials to meet the client's needs. I was also contracted by the drama director to develop additional marketing materials as well as background images, videos, & animations for on-stage production.

For thirteen years, I have been teaching print & digital design to high school students, but I have also strived to provide experiences with real clients to work for in class to develop logos, branding, and marketing materials. Throughout the years, I have partnered with alternative learning programs in our school district to develop school logos & start-up businesses in the local community to develop entire company branding & logos. Through these experiences, I mentor students and provide constructive feedback to help students meet the needs of the client. I also ensure the final assets meet the client's specifications and am willing to edit & combine designs if requested. My students are now requested regularly to complete design work from individuals inside the school and from the community.

During the pandemic, I was connected with a multi-level marketing company that sells & distributes children's books, learning materials, activities, and games. As a teacher & parent, I was drawn to their products & how engaging they are for children; I enjoyed their products so much that I chose to join the company as a Brand Partner to sell their products. Through social media & vendor events, I have been developing graphics, banners, flyers, and more for years to inform others about their products & make sales. In 2022, the company rebranded to PaperPie, requiring all new graphics, marketing materials, etc. for all brand partners with the company. At this point in time, I had been promoted to a Team Leader position to support other brand partners in their business growth. As a Team Leader, I challenged myself to develop graphics & print materials that were aligned with the new brand & content strategy to provide to my team & others to support their brand partner businesses.

Communicating with the public & developing an understanding of school district levies and bonds through social media, flyers, & more. I have been the volunteer social media manager & graphic designer of three different school district elections on the Yes For Our Kids | Committee For Good Schools for Cheney Public Schools. I have developed a variety of graphics for social media to communicate budgeting, student populations, & bond/levy measures to the public.